Safety deposit box



A. G. MEIER SAFETY DEPOSIT BOX Filed Dec. 30. 1925 Patented Dec. 7, 1926.

ADOLPHUS G. MEIER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SAFETY DEPOSIT BOX.

Application filed December 30, 1925. Serial No. 78,291.

This invention pertains to safety deposit boxes or like containers for safe keeping of documents and similar articles.

Most banks make a practice of renting safe deposit boxes at a certain sum per year in which valuable papers and other valuable articles may be kept. These boxes are kept in a suitable vault at the bank and carefully protected. In many cases, however, the purchaser has only afew simple documents such as life insurance policies, property deeds, etc., which he wishes to protect against loss. The ordinary box as at present provided, is large enough to contain a considerable number of such documents and consequently the yearly rental is comparatively high.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a small and simple container which may be rented at a low rental and which may, nevertheless, be adequately protected at a minimum cost.

Another object is to provide simple and effective means for sealing such a container.

Another object is to provide locking and sealing means for such a container which is adapted to receive the signature of the owner, which seal must be broken in order to open the container.

Further objects will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a section on line 22, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a partial section on line 33, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective detail somewhat enlar ed of the locking mechanism, and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a key.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, 1 designates a container body which may be constructed of sheet steel or other suitable material and which is completely closed except at its forward end. The container is made flat and large enough to accommodate only a limited number of documents so that a considerable number of such containers may be stored in a small space. This enables a great many of such containers to be stored in a given vault space and thereby reduces the cost of operating the system.

The forward end of the container may be closed by a closure 2, comprising a plate adapted to fitthe open front of the 0011- tainer 1. Flanges 3 may be provided to fit within the container body and to properly position the closure. One end of the closure 2 is provided with a bracket 1 forming a socket adapted to engage a pin 5, mounted at one side just within the opening of the container 1. Mounted in the other end of said opening is another pin or bar 6 adapted to provide an abutment for the locking bolt.

Mounted within the closure 2 and in the case illustrated, at one end thereof is a lock comprising a casing 7 suitably formed of sheet metal or the like and having slideably mounted therein a locking bolt 8. This bolt is suitably guided to slide lengthwise in the casing 7, its movement beinglimited if desired by stop pins 9 and 10 adapted to engage the end of the casing. The bolt 8 is provided at an intermediate portion thereof with rack teeth 11. Just opposite the rack portion 11, the closure is perforated with a keyhole 12. The keyhole 12 may be round or any other suitable shape adapted to accommodate the key 13. In the embodiment illustrated this key is formed at its end to provide a pinion 1 1 adapted to engage the rack portion 11 of the bolt. The bolt 8 may be provided with a lug 15 to which a spring 16 may be attached, the other end of which is secured to a lug 17 on the casing 7. This spring automatically moves the bolt to the right, Figure 3, so that its end 18 will be extended from the casing to lodge behind the abutment 6 when the closure is in place on the container so as to lock the closure to the container.

The lock casing 7 may be held in place on the closure 2 by bolts or other suitable fasteners 19. These bolts pass through the front of the closure 2 and may also be used to hold in place a keyhole plate 20 of fibre or other suitable material as illustrated in Figure 8. This plate covers that part of the closure in which the keyhole is situated and is itself provided with a keyhole registering with that in the closure 2.

In the use of this container, the articles to be preserved are placed within the container and the closure is then applied by first engaging the bracket 1 over the pin 5 and then swinging the closure inwardly until the bolt 8 lodges behind the abutment- 6. When the container has thus been closed, a sticker 21 of paper or other suitable material upon which the owner has previously placed his signature as indicated in Figure for the purpose.

1, is then pasted en the keyhole lj'pl'ate Q10 so as to cover not only the keyhole 1'2 but.

attendant then picks out his box by its: mun-- her and after comparing the signature thereon With the si ua'ture on the new sticker, so 'as to be certain that the party applyis the proper owner of a box, delivers the box'to him. When the owner has ascertained that the original seal still in place over the keyhole plate, the attendant may insert the k y, breaking the seal, and open the box. .Vhen box again to be sealed,it is'closed in the i ilar manner and the new stick-er pasted over the old one on the keyhole plate. Thus the container is Ways sealed by the owners signature and the seal must be broken in order to open the container,

The keyhole plate 20 is of special utility because such containers are ordinarily constructed or metal to which the adhesive ot' theordinary stickers does not cling efiectively, the keyhole plate of fibre or similar material to which the adhesive Will cling permanently is desirable in order to insure that the seal will remain in place. It the box is opened frequently, an accumulation of stickers will gradually build up thereon.

Vi hen "this takes place the attendant may.

When the container is opened, remove the keyhole plate by removing the fasteners 19 and replace the same with a new one. A supply t such plates may e kept on hand A renewable keyhole plate, therefore, provides that an unreasonable accumulation of stickersmay beavoided by the removal and cleaning of sucl plates periodically.

It Will be seen, there-fore, tha-t'this inven- :tionprovides a simple container "Which is not only'cheap to manufacture but which ren ers takes up little space aiiClfWhiCh in'ay,"tliere fore, be rented at avery 10W rental so as to be Within the means of practically everyone and which will encourage the careful sate keeping of even one or two documents of -value.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in details of construction Without departing from the spirit of this invent-ion; it it, theretore, to be understood that this vent-ion is not to be limited to the specl details shown and described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A container for safe keeping of documents and the like, con'iprising a box, a closure therefor, key operated lock for said closure, :1 non-metallic sticker receiving: key hole plate and a sticker adapted to adhere to said plate over the keyhole andpundurable by the key. p

2. A container for safe keeping of documents and the like, comprising a box, a closure therefor, key operated loch for said closure, a renewable sticken-rec ingg key sticker adapthole plate for said lock and a edto adhere to said plate over the keyhole and punctura'ble by the key.

3. A container for safe keeping of docu ments and the like, comprising a boa a closure therefor, a key operated lock tor said closure, a renewable sticker-receiving key hole plate for loek,-means to tasteh said plate to'said closure and a sticker attachable to said plate for sealing the keyhole and said fastening; means.

4:. A container for keepin-g o't'documents and the like, comprisi 1 box, ado sure therefor, a key operated lock for said closure, a renewable sticker-receiving hole plate for said lock, a screw p5. therethrough totast-en said plate to said closure and a sticker attachable to said plate to cover the keyhole and the head of the screw.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature this 21st day of December, 1925.

.ADOLPHUS G. MEHQR. 

